Braves relievers entered Sunday still carrying the best ERA (2.45) and lowest opponents’ batting average (.217) in the majors but having allowed eight earned runs in 11-2/3 innings in the first five games of their six-game road trip and blown two leads after the seventh inning.

“We’ve been really good all season” said left-hander Luis Avilan who still had the National League’s third-best relief ERA (1.60) despite hitting a rough patch lately. “ It’s OK if we have one week different. It’s nothing to be panicked about or something. Just a bad week that’s it.”

Major league saves leader Craig Kimbrel blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning of a 6-5 loss at Washington in the first game of the trip. And in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Cubs relievers Scott Downs and David Carpenter gave up three hits and a sacrifice fly in a three-run eighth after starter Kris Medlen left with a 1-0 lead and a runner on first with one out in the inning.

Among key Braves relievers Avilan and and Downs have struggled to varying degrees during the final weeks of the season.“Whether it’s April May June or whenever pitchers go through a little funk just like hitters do” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “And this time of year everybody’s a little banged up everybody’s a little ‘not right.’ We try to manage that as best we can you know? But it is what it is. We’ll get them straightened out again.”

Avilan tied for ninth in the NL in appearances (72) before Sunday had a 4.32 ERA and .324 opponents’ average in his past 12 appearances allowing 11 hits and four runs in 8-1/3 innings. This after posting a 0.62 ERA and .118 OA in his previous 47 appearances with only 17 hits and three earned runs allowed in 43-1/3 innings.Nearing the end of his first full season in the majors Avilan was asked Sunday how he felt physically.